Today we are jointly celebrating the memory of Blessed Braulio Maria Corres, Federico Rubio and their 69 martyred companions, beatified in Rome on 25 October 1992, and Maurizio Iñiguez de Heredia and 23 martyred companions, beatified in Tarragona (Spain) on 13 October 2013. These 95 Brothers of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God, of various nationalities, had performed their apostolate in different places in Spain, and were martyred on different dates during the two-year period 1936-1937.

In 2014, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved today’s celebration to be in honour of all our Brothers who perished during the religious persecution in Spain, acknowledged as victims of that fateful period, sacrificed as witnesses to their faith and to Hospitality.

Heedless of the impending danger that approached menacingly day by day, our Brothers remained at their posts, honouring the commitment they had entered into by virtue of their Religious consecration and their vow of Hospitality, staying behind to care for the sick and the physical and mentally disabled guests being cared for in their Institutes. They were martyred for having defended and professed their faith and for continuing to perform works of charity on behalf of the sick and the poor.